The Pittsburgh Steelers have looked better this year compared to the last few seasons. They’re undefeated, and they have arguably the best defense in the league. Justin Fields looks promising at quarterback as well, giving fans hope that the team can make some noise in the playoffs this year. However, former NFL linebacker Bart Scott still believes they’ll be one-and-done in the playoffs.
“They’ll find a way to get in the wild card, and they’ll lose in the first round,” Scott said Friday on ESPN’s Get Up. “But nobody does more with less than Mike Tomlin. One of my favorite coaches of all time.”
Scott played in the NFL from 2002-2012, suiting up for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, so it’s not surprising that he doesn’t have much love lost for the Steelers. Like most members of the Ravens and Steelers rivalry, there is respect there though. Most people didn’t believe the Steelers would be this good in 2024, and Scott seems to be giving a lot of that credit to Tomlin.
There’s still a lot of time between now and the playoffs, so it’s tough to totally dispute Scott’s words. No one knows how the Steelers will look when the playoffs come around, or if they’ll even make it to the postseason. They’re 3-0 right now, but anything can happen.
History does seem to be on their side, and with the rest of the AFC North stumbling out of the gate, the Steelers are in good position to at least make the playoffs. They might not ultimately win the division, but they shouldn’t just barely sneak into the playoffs like Scott is suggesting. They could, but if they continue to play at this level, it shouldn’t come down to the wire like in previous years.
None of that will matter if the Steelers lose in the first round again though. They might not be Super Bowl contenders, but fans, players, coaches, and everyone else involved with the organization are tired of losing in the first round of the playoffs. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and they want to change that.
If their defense continues to play at this level, they should have a chance to beat anyone. For now, the Steelers just need to focus on beating the Indianapolis Colts. Getting to 4-0 would be great, especially considering how tough the second half of their schedule seems to be. They’ll have to wait to prove Scott wrong.
